OFFICIAL NOTICES. 
199 
till March, in which month I a third time took up the plants and divided them 
into 256 plants or sets. For the remaining part of the summer, till the month of 
August, they had nothing done to them, except having the ground cleared from 
the roots, till the corn was ripe. When it was gathered I had the ears counted 
and they were three, five, eleven, a great part of which proved as good grain as 
ever grew out of the earth. Many of the ears measured six inches in length ; 
some were midling grains, some were light and thin. There was rather better than 
a-half bushel of corn as the produce of one grain of wheat.” 
M. S. G. 
The Ascent of Climbing Plants. — May I draw the attention of the 
readers of Nature Notes to the different ways in which climbing plants ascend? 
I have noticed that nearly all such plants have a characteristic direction in which 
they grow, either twining from the right to the left, or from the left to the right. 
The honeysuckle {Lonicera Periclymeinim) always encircles a tree from right to 
left, and if its course be interrupted, will reach the nearest branch, and continue 
to grow upwards in the same direction. We have a large quantity of this beautiful 
creeper in a wood here, growing up the stems of the hazels, and I have noticed 
that this direction never varies. The scarlet-runner [Phaseolus multijloriis) ascends 
in a spiral manner from left to right ; the large wild convolvulus {Calystegia 
sepium) also twines in the same direction. There are, however, some climbing 
plants which seem to have no particular mode of ascent, such as the ivy {PLedera 
helix), and the tendrils of the cucumber (Cucumis sativus). 
Hasely Hall, lVar 7 oick. Maud Sawyer. 
[We publish this note because it shows that personal observation of common 
natural objects which it is one of the aims of Nature Notes to encourage. The 
subject, as most of our readers know, was treated at length by Mr. Darwin in his 
Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants. Ed. N. W.] 
The Clouded Yellow. — A few days since I and a cousin of mine caught in 
one marl-pit seven splendid specimens of the Clouded Yellow butterfly (four males 
and three females), while we saw several others which we could not secure ; at the 
.same time and place we also caught a very tine large Tortoiseshell. 
Dovon, Kent. ' Percy Lubbock. 
[We saw several Clouded Yellows near Freshwater, Isle of Wight, last August. 
We are particularly glad that you “ could not secure” the other specimens you 
mention ; why should you wish to take all you saw ? Eu. N. W.] 
M. A. J. H. — It is Tropicoris rttfipes, one of the Ilemiptera (bugs), and is 
common. 
F. M. — Willow Wren. 
Miss E. — The request for “observations and information relative to the 
alleged injurious habits of hedgehogs, mice, squirrels, and other mammalia ” is 
too comprehensive for us to answer. You will find much useful information in a 
paper called “ The Vermin of the Farm,” published in the Journal of the Royal 
Agricultural Society lox June 30th, 1S92 (vol iii. part 2). We must once more 
direct attention to the last paragraph of our “ Notice to Correspondents.” 
J. A. K. — The lichenologist to whom we have submitted your question states 
his inability to determine the specimen from your description. 
OFFICIAL NOTICES. 
The Lower Thames Valley Branxh. — The Daily News of September 5th 
contains an interesting account of “A Field Club Ramble” to Fulwell and the 
river Crane — one of the Saturday afternoon excursions so successfully organised by 
this Branch. From the reports published in the Richmond and Twickenham 
Times — which, by the way, sadly need revision so far as the scientific names are 
concerned — we learn that these excursions (one of which we noticed at page 140) 
have been well attended and very satisfactory. A Pheld Club has been formed in 
connection with the Branch, which will be open to all members of the .Society upon 
payment annually of one shilling, which, it is thought, will cover the additional ex- 
penses of printing and postage. Members are requested to intimate their consent 
